Borrowed land turns to borrowed time for LEARN horses

RAVENEL, S.C. (WCIV) -- A local nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates horses is on the verge of losing its land and there is little time to find a home for three dozen horses.

Finding homes is proving to be a difficult task for the people at LEARN, too.

LEARN's volunteers care for the dozens of abused horses in their care and function solely off of donations. Now they're working to keep from putting those horses in other bad situations.

There are 165 acres on the J Bar Farm, giving each horse plenty of room to breathe and run as well as enough food to eat.

"The owner of the farm has allowed us to stay here and use the facility at absolutely no charge, and we cannot thank him enough," said Elizabeth Steed, the founder of LEARN.

For four years, the group has been able to operate on the farm, but that's about to change.

"He wants to start running cattle here," Steed said. "So he is going to turn the 165 acres into a cattle ranch."

That leaves the horses without homes and Steed worried about their future.

"The legislation has been passed for the slaughter facilities to be reopened, and it's our biggest fear that some of these horses who've already had such difficult circumstances to overcome would end up in that type of situation," Steed said.

So to keep the horses safe, Steed is looking for farms or stables and people with big hearts to open their doors and welcome the horses.

"We are asking for foster homes and people that have facilities that will be willing to allow us to use them for the rescue mission that we have here," she said.

Steed is not sure how long she has to find the horses new homes, but says she has little time because the cows have already started arriving at the farm.

Click here to find out more about the horse rescue or to offer assistance.